Bittersweet
by little miss troublee
Summary: Derrick Harrington taught him many lessons. He taught him love, friendship, and most of all, Derrick Harrington taught Todd Lyons the meaning of bittersweet. oneshot


okay, so i thought of this when i was cleaning up my school stuff. we learned about ww2 during english when we read Anne Frank, so i decided to write this.

disclaimer: don't own anything

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Dear Mr. and Mrs. Lyons,

At Briarwood Academy, we are fortunate to have so many diverse

activities offered to our students. Your son, Todd Lyons, however,

has not joined any of our clubs, teams, or sports. After his last suspension,

the Briarwood Administration had decided that we needed to get your

son involved in more school-related activities. A list of activities is posted below.

Please take this as an opportunity to help your son and his future.

Signed,

The Briarwood Academy Administration

_Activities offered to Briarwood Students:_

_-Soccer_

_-Basketball_

_-Football_

_-Debate_

_-Science Team_

_-Math Team_

_-Tennis_

_-Golf_

_-Westchester Children's Center Volunteering_

_-Senior Bingo Volunteering_

It was the last activity that caught his parent's eye.

"_It will teach you responsibility, Todd," his dad had said._

"_You can learn a lot from senior citizens," his mom had said._

So now, instead of going to his 'best friend', Tiny Nathan's, party-of-the-year, he was at the senior center, playing bingo.

**

"You must be Todd Lyons," an older looking woman at the front desk greeted.

Todd nodded.

"Great! We've been waiting for you. Your job is simple, help an older citizen with their bingo card."

"Can't they do that themselves?" Todd wondered.

Thankfully, the woman seemed to know what Todd was thinking. "Older folks tend to have problems with their eye-sight and hearing."

"So who will I be working with?" Todd asked.

"His name is Derrick Harrington, I think you'll like him," the old woman said, giving Todd a sweet smile.

Todd made his way over to the bingo table. He looked around at the blue haired people until he found a man with a name tag reading, "_HI MY NAME IS DERRICK HARRINGTON"._

"Are you Derrick Harrington?" Todd asked.

"That' what my nametag says," Derrick stated simply.

"I'm Todd Lyons; I'm supposed to 'help you out'."

"Well I don't need to be 'helped out'," Derrick snapped.

Todd glared at the old man, taking in his appearance. White hair, deep brown eyes, smile lines; he had the typical "grandfather" look.

"Look here Mr. Harrington, my grade and reputation relies on this, so if you don't mind, I'm going to be helping you through this bingo game."

Derrick smiled. "Sure thing, kiddo."

Todd looked at Derrick, with a puzzled expression. "Do old people have mood changes frequently?"

Derrick looked at Todd, mocking his puzzled expression. "Do young people always ask dumb questions?"

Todd smiled. He was beginning to like this man.

"You were a young person once, so wouldn't you know?"

Derrick looked from Todd to his bingo card as the caller called out "_B-5"_

"I was _barely_ a young man," Derrick mumbled.

Todd was puzzled. First Derrick went from hostile, to nice, and now, back to hostile.

"What are you talking about?" Todd asked as he put a bingo chip on his card.

"Look at you, spoiled children. Hiding behind your father's money, not having to care about a single thing!" Derrick exclaimed.

The two blue-haired women sitting in front of Derrick and Todd glared at them.

Todd lowered his voice. "_What are you talking about?"_

Derrick looked at Todd. "When I was your age, instead of lazing around or playing your y-box or whatever they are called, the boys had to fight."

"Fight?"

"In the War. The Second World War. Haven't you ever heard of that?"

"Yeah. The Nazis, Anne Frank, and the Japanese?"

Derrick nodded. "I was eighteen when I was conscripted into the Army. I was sent to Europe…"

"_I had to leave Massie behind…."_

"Who was Massie?" asked Todd, snapping Derrick out of his flashback.

"My fiancée, Massie Block. She was _beautiful_. She had the prettiest hair, the sweetest smile, and those eyes. Those beautiful amber eyes. We were supposed to get married right after I returned. It was a rushed decision, but both of us were happy with it," Derrick said, sighing.

"Oh, continue," Todd nodded, with a trace of envy in his voice.

"Massie wanted to join the army too, but I wouldn't let her. It was too dangerous for a girl like her. She was upset, but she understood my decision. The night before I was supposed to leave for Europe, she disappeared." Derrick stopped, closing his eyes for a second.

"Did she leave you anything?" asked Todd, now interested in Derrick's story.

Derrick nodded. "She left me a note explaining that she was going to be a nurse off in France. Massie also left me the necklace I gave her. It was rare, a silver necklace with a purple amethyst gem on it."

Derrick stopped for a second, pulling a necklace out of his shirt to show Todd.

"Massie also promised in the note that as soon as we both came home from the War, we would finally get married. So, for one hard year, I fought in the War. I was a part of D-Day, and I also helped with the Concentration Camp liberations. When I finally came home, I got the horrible news."

Todd sucked in a breath. He knew what was going to happen next.

"A man in a black car came to my house. I remember the exact day. June 26, 1945. He told me that Massie had been dead for six months. It was a bomb that was set off in the hospital that she was in. Only two people made it. The man said he was very sorry, and then drove off."

Derrick dabbed a tissue at his eyes. "Her parents arranged the funeral. I didn't attend. I couldn't bear to see all of those crying people, who barely knew Massie. The night after the funeral, I visited her gravestone. It read, '_MASSIE EMILY BLOCK, THE GOLDEN HEARTED-GIRL'._"

"I'm so sorry," Todd muttered. And he was. For the first time in his life, Todd William Lyons actually_ felt_ pain for something.

"Can you do me a favor, Todd?" asked Derrick.

Derrick held out a five dollar bill. "Go to the flower shop and ask for the _Clustered Bellflower_.It was Massie's favorite."

Todd accepted the money. "What do you want me to do with the flowers?"

Derrick smiled warily. "Just keep them. In memory of Massie."

"_BINGO!"_ yelled a white haired man in front of Derrick and Todd.

"C'mon, Todd, it's time to go," said the older woman from the front desk, "your mother is waiting for you."

Before going, Todd looked at Derrick. Derrick noticed Todd's gaze, and offered Todd a small smile. "If I'm here tomorrow, come back, I'll tell you about the time I wrestled two enemy Nazi soldiers!"

Derrick squeezed Todd's hand. "See you, Todd."

"See you, Mr. Harrington," Todd said as he left the bingo hall.

"So you had fun?" Todd's mother asked, as they walked out of the senior center.

Todd shrugged. "It was _okay_."

**

"So the Japanese soldier was actually cursing _Babe Ruth_ when you captured him?" Todd asked, laughing at the story Derrick was telling him. It was Todd's third day at the Senior Center, and Derrick was telling Todd another war story.

Derrick nodded. "One of my best memories!"

Todd. "You're a really good friend, Mr. Harrington, kind of like the grandfather I've never had!"

Derrick gave Todd a sweet smile. "You're like the best friend _and_ grandson I've never had."

One of _Todd's_ best memories.

**

"Is Mr. Harrington here, today?" Todd asked to the front desk lady.

Todd had been coming to the Senior Center every day for almost two weeks since his initial meeting with Derrick Harrington.

The front desk lady's face twisted into a frown. "I'm sorry, Todd. I think someone called your house. Derrick Harrington died his sleep last night."

Todd dropped the comic book he was going to show Derrick. He sprinted out of the Senior Center.

"No, _No,_ NO!" Todd yelled, "Not my _best friend_!"

And for the first time in his life, Todd Lyons broke down in tears.

**

Five years after his first meeting with Derrick Harrington, twenty year old Todd Lyons knelt near the grave of Derrick Harrington.

He placed the purple clustered bellflowers on his grave. Todd had gotten two bouquets, one for Derrick and one for Massie.

"At least you and Massie can get married together now," Todd muttered, wiping a tear out of his eye.

Todd got up, brushed the dirt off his uniform, and walked out of the cemetery. He drove all the way to the airport, where he boarded the plane.

"_This is for you, Derrick Harrington,"_ Todd whispered to himself as he got off the plane in his final destination.

"_I'll fight for you_," Todd muttered as the car came to pick him up.

"_I'll_ _never forget you," _Todd thought as he tucked Derrick's purple amethyst necklace into his shirt.

**

_**WESTCHESTER TRIBUNE**_

**June 26, **

_After fighting for one long year, Westchester native, Todd Lyons, was killed by a roadside bomb overseas. A friend of Todd's says that he had a kind heart, and he would frequently volunteer in the Westchester Senior Center. The Lyons family is holding services for Todd next week. Please show your support for the Lyons family and Todd, by attending._

_Todd William Lyons_

_December 4, 1997- June 10, 2018_

**

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how was it? i think it was horrible, but that's my opinion. review!


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